Dry joint compound in a graduated container for accurate water addition

ABSTRACT

A joint compound container including a base member having a sidewall and a bottom wall defining an interior space with an open top end where a surface of the sidewall includes an indicator. A cover is attached to the top end of the base member and a designated amount of base compound is stored in the interior space of the base member. In use, the cover is removed from the base member and water is added into the interior space of the base member until a level of the water reaches the indicator.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a joint compound, and morespecifically, to a dry base compound, i.e., powder, stored in agraduated container with at least one indicator mark for proper wateraddition that enables the base compound to be mixed in the originalpackaging with the correct water amount to form a joint compoundsuitable for various phases of drywall finishing while reducing shippingcosts and significantly extending product shelf life prior to theaddition of water to the base compound.

Joint compound is available in various forms, including a ready-mixedform that is pre-mixed and can be immediately applied to a surface, andin a powder form that must be mixed with water prior to application.Most joint compound that is commercially sold is in the ready-mixedform. Ready-mixed joint compound has a paste-like consistency thatincludes both mineral and organic components with 40% to 70% of thetotal compound being water. After being mixed in a factory, theready-mixed joint compound is usually stored or packaged in varioussized plastic containers and shipped to consumers. In use, theconsistency of pre-mixed joint compound is typically adjusted on a jobsite by adding water to meet an applicator's preferences, and accordingto the particular finishing step required for a job, such as a tapecoat, fill coat, or a finish coat. Although pre-mixed joint compound isconvenient and immediately ready for use, there are drawbacks that limitits performance and use. For instance, since ready-mixed joint compoundhas a significant amount of water, problems occur during storage of thematerial in heat or freezing temperatures, which causes unintendedviscosity changes, rapid breakdown of the biocide resulting in prematurespoilage of the joint compound in the wet state, and phase separation orsettling of the solids after freezing. Also, ready-mixed joint compoundrequires the addition of in-can preservatives or biocides as well asother chemical additives to eliminate the biological activity and growthpresent in wet joint compound. The addition of these chemicals helpsimprove the shelf life and working properties of the ready-mixed jointcompound, but also releases harmful contaminants, such as volatileorganic compounds (VOCs), and formaldehyde to the atmosphere. Other rawmaterials commonly present in ready-mixed joint compound include latexemulsions, which also contribute to the VOCs but are not present in apowdered joint compound.

Typically, powder joint compound compositions are of lower quality andcost than ready-mixed joint compounds, and are commonly sold in largebags such as twenty-five pound paper bags. To use the powdercompositions, an end user must have an empty container, such as a fivegallon bucket, transfer an amount of the powder composition to thecontainer and then make incremental water and powder additions until adesired consistency of the joint compound is achieved. Mixing the powdercomposition with the correct amount of water is very important togetting the joint compound to a workable consistency for application towallboard. In mixing the powder joint compounds, a user must rely onproper interpretation of mixing directions printed on the package. Ifthe mixture includes too much water, the joint compound will be too thinfor use and must either be discarded or re-tempered with an additionalamount of the powder. If too little water is used, the joint compoundwill be too thick, and additional water must be added. The incrementaladdition of water and powder is time consuming and burdensome.

There are also drawbacks with the paper packaging used for powderedjoint compound. For example, the packaging can be accidentally ripped,torn or damaged during shipping, transport and handling of thepackaging, which results in costly spillage loss of the powdered jointcompound. Furthermore, the packaging can fail due to exposure to rain orsnow during storage and/or transport of the product to a job siteresulting in further loss of the product. Some of the powdered jointcompound can also be lost during transfer of the product from thepackaging to an empty container for mixing thereby further adding to theloss of the product.

Accordingly, there is a need for a secure container that stores powderedjoint compound while minimizing product loss and shipping andtransportation costs, and that is easily mixed to a desired consistencyfor application at a job site.

SUMMARY

The present invention relates to a joint compound, and morespecifically, to a dry joint compound, i.e., base compound, stored in agraduated container with one or more indicator marks for proper wateraddition that enables the base compound to be mixed in the originalpackaging with the correct amount of water to form a joint compoundsuitable for various phases of drywall finishing, while reducingshipping costs and significantly extending product shelf life prior tothe water addition to the base compound.

In an embodiment, a joint compound container is provided and includes abase member having a sidewall and a bottom wall defining an interiorspace with an open top end where a surface of the sidewall includes anindicator. A cover is attached to the top end of the base member and adesignated amount of base compound is stored in the interior space ofthe base member. In use, the cover is removed from the base member andwater is added into the interior space of the base member until a levelof the water reaches the indicator.

In another embodiment, a joint compound container is provided andincludes a base member having a sidewall and a bottom wall defining aninterior space with an open top end where a surface of the sidewallincludes a plurality of indicators which reflect the necessary wateraddition to achieve the desired consistency for the intended finishingstep such as taping, filling, or finishing the joints. A cover isattached to the top end of the base member and a designated amount ofbase compound is stored in the interior space of the base member. Inuse, the cover is removed from the base member and water is added intothe interior space of the base member until a level of the water reachesone of the indicators based on a desired consistency of joint compound.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present jointcompound container;

FIG. 2A is a cross-section view of the joint compound container of FIG.1 taken substantially along line 2A-2A in the direction generallyindicated;

FIG. 2B is an enlarged partial cross-section view of connection betweenthe cover and the base member of the joint compound container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of another embodiment of the present jointcompound container with the cover removed; and

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a further embodiment of the presentjoint compound container where the container includes a plurality ofindicators.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present joint compound container includes a designated amount of apowdered, base compound stored in a graduated container having at leastone indicator mark for proper water addition to the base compound thatenables a user to quickly and easily add a correct amount of water tothe base compound in the container to form joint compound while reducingshipping costs and harmful contaminants, and significantly extending theshelf life of the product prior to the addition of water to the basecompound.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present joint compound containergenerally designated as 10, includes a base member 12 having a generallycylindrical sidewall 14 and a bottom wall 16. In the illustratedembodiment, the cylindrical sidewall 14 and the bottom wall 16 areintegrally formed together and are each made of a durable plastic. It iscontemplated that the base member 12 may have any suitable shape. Forexample, in another embodiment, the base member 12 includes foursidewalls that form a square or rectangular shape and a bottom wallattached to each of the sidewalls. As shown in FIG. 2A, the sidewall 14has an inner surface 18, an outer surface 20 and a designated thickness“T”. It is contemplated that the sidewall 14 may have any suitablethickness that sufficiently maintains the integrity of the jointcompound during storage. Additionally, the base member 12 has adesignated height “H” where the height “H” and inner diameter of thebase member are based on the amount of the powdered, base compound 22stored in the base member. For example, the base member 12 typically hasa volume of 3.5 to 4.5 gallons (13.25-17.03 L) for storing the mixedjoint compound. It should be appreciated that the base member 12 may beany suitable size, shape and volume. In the illustrated embodiment, thebase member 12 includes a top end 24 and a bottom end 26 where thebottom end is closed by the bottom wall 16 as shown in FIG. 2A. The topend 24 is open or has an opening 28 that enables a user to access thehollow interior of the base member 12 to add and mix water 21 with thebase compound 22. After mixing, the resulting joint compound is appliedto one or more wall surfaces.

The inner surface 18 of the base member 12 is generally smooth andincludes at least one indicator, i.e., a water level indicator, in theform of a line 30 (FIG. 2A) that indicates the amount of water 21 to addto the amount of the base compound 22 in the base member to form adesignated amount of joint compound. In the illustrated embodiment, theline 30 is a prominent marking on the inner surface 18 of the basemember 12 formed with waterproof ink, paint or any other suitablemarking material. The line 30 may extend about a portion of the innersurface 18 or the entire periphery of the inner surface 18 of the basemember. In another embodiment, the line 30 is a groove formed in theinner surface 18. The groove may be any suitable depth as long as thegroove is visible and does not negatively affect the structuralintegrity of the base member. As shown in FIG. 2A, the line 30 is placedat a designated distance above the powdered, base compound 22 where thedistance is based on the amount of water 21 that must be added to theamount of the base compound 22 stored in the base member 12. As such,the location of the line 30 on the inner surface 18 of the base member12 changes based on the amount of the base compound 22 stored in thebase member.

Alternatively as shown in FIG. 3, in another embodiment, the water levelindicator is a line 32 on the outer surface 20 of the base member 12. Inthis embodiment, the base member 12 is made with a semi-transparent ortransparent material so that the level of the water 21 added to the basemember 12 is visible relative to the water level indicator or line 32from outside of the base member. Similar to the above embodiment, theline 32 may extend about a portion of the outer surface 20 as shown inFIG. 3, or about the entire outer periphery of the outer surface 20,where the line 32 marked on the outer surface is formed with a markingmaterial, such as ink or paint, or a groove formed in the outer surface.

The base member 12 is sealed by a lid or cover 34 attached to the topend 24 of the base member. To preserve the base compound 22 duringstorage and shipping, the cover 34 forms a seal with the base member 12.In an embodiment, the cover 34 includes a groove 36 extending about theinner periphery of the cover that corresponds to a protruding lip 38extending about the outer periphery of the base member 12. The cover 34is attached to the base member 12 by engaging the lip 38 in the groove36. In another embodiment, the top end 24 of the base member 12 includesthreads that threadingly engage corresponding threads on an innersurface of the cover 34 to secure the cover to the base member 12. Itshould be appreciated that the cover 34 and the base member 12 may beattached to each other using any suitable attachment or connectionmethod.

To protect against tampering during storage or shipping of the jointcompound, an edge 40 of the cover 34 includes at least one breakable tab42 in which the cover cannot be removed from the base member 12 untilthe tab 42 is broken. As shown in FIG. 1, the tab 42 is formed bycutting an opening 44 in the cover 34 during the manufacturing process.The opening 44 enables a user to insert a tool (not shown), such as ascrewdriver, behind the tab 42 and then move the tool, and thereby thetab 42 outwardly away from the base member 12 until an end 46 of the tab42 breaks or is severed from the edge 40 of the cover 34. Breaking thetab 42 enables the edge 40 of the cover 34 to be flexed or movedoutwardly from the base member 12 to release the groove 36 on the innersurface of the cover 34 from the lip 38 on the base member 12 therebyenabling the cover 34 to be removed from the base member 12. It shouldbe appreciated that the cover 34 may include one tab 42 as describedabove or a plurality of the tabs 42.

In the illustrated embodiment, the container 10 includes a handle 48having opposing ends 50, where the ends 50 are each pivotably connectedto opposing sides 52 of the base member 12 by inserting the ends 50 incorresponding openings 54 in the base member 12. In the illustratedembodiment, the handle 48 includes a single, curved wire 56 having aplastic grip 58 for comfortably grabbing the handle and transporting thecontainer 10. It should be appreciated that the handle 48 may be anysuitable size and shape and may be made out of other suitable materials,including but not limited to, plastic. In another embodiment, thecontainer 10 does not include a handle and is transported by graspingthe base member 12.

In an embodiment, the base member 12 includes a message area 60 thatincludes a message such as “Fill Water to this Line” or a similarmessage to instruct a user that the line 30 is the water level fill lineor water level indicator. It should be appreciated that the message area60 may include any suitable message and/or characters, such as an arrow,to describe the purpose of the line 30 and/or instruct the user.

The joint compound stored in the container 10 is in a powder form,commonly referred to as the base compound 22. The powder or basecompound 22 typically includes a filler, such as calcium carbonate, abinder, a thickener, and a non-leveling agent as understood by thosewell skilled in the art. A lightweight filler may be optionally includedin the base compound 22 to adjust the density of the composition.

Fillers for use in the base compound 22 may be any of the calciumcarbonate or calcium sulfate dihydrate fillers, including but notlimited to calcium carbonate, common to preparation of typical jointcompounds and known to those skilled in the art. Examples of fillersused in the base compound 22, include but are not limited to, dolomiticlimestone such as Dolocron® 4512 manufactured by Specialty Minerals Inc.in New York, N.Y.; cellulose ethers such as Bermocoll® CCA 098manufactured by Akzo Nobel Chemicals AG, Switzerland; cellulose etherssuch as Tylose® MOT 60,000 manufactured by SE Tylose GmbH & Co.KG; micasuch as P-80-F Mica manufactured by United States Gypsum Company; andtalc such as TC-100 Talc manufactured by Imerys Talc in Paris, France.It should be appreciated that any suitable filler or combination offillers may be used in the base compound 22. Typically, fillers groundto a median particle size between 5 and 40 microns are used where usagelevels are commonly between 50% to 95% by weight of the totalcomposition ingredients not including the water added, although examplesof filler-free compounds do exist.

The binder is preferably a latex emulsion binder, which is an importantingredient well known to those skilled in the joint compound art. Anexample of such a binder is tufCor® 1214 manufactured by CelaneseCorporation in Irving, Tex. Any of the conventional latex binders may beused, with polyvinyl acetate and ethylene vinyl acetate emulsions beingpreferred. If present, the latex binder ranges from about 0.5% to about10% by weight of the composition prior to adding water, with someembodiments using 1% to about 8% (by weight on a dried component basis).The use of spray-dried binders is contemplated with usages ranging from0.1% to 1.5% (by weight on a dried component basis).

It is also generally preferred that the base compound 22 include one ormore thickeners. Conventional cellulosic thickeners, e.g. ethylhydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, methylhydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, methylhydroxyethyl cellulose andmixtures thereof, may be used in the base compound 22. Preferably, thebase compound 22 is made with a hydrous magnesium aluminum silicatethickener such as Min-u-gel FG manufactured by Active MineralsInternational, LLC in Hunt Valley, Md. The total amount of cellulosicthickener ranges from about 0.1% to about 3%, preferably 0.3 to 1% byweight of the total composition ingredients not including the wateradded. It is contemplated that other thickeners will be used instead ofor in addition to the cellulosic thickener.

By including only the dry, powdered base compound 22 in the container10, the problems associated with pre-mixed type joint compound (whichincludes water), are overcome. For example, the base compound 22 doesnot include preservatives and bactericides that are needed withpre-mixed type joint compound to prolong the shelf life of the jointcompound and to inhibit mold and other contaminants from forming in thejoint compound during storage. Also, the absence of water helps toprevent the base compound 22 from freezing during storage and shippingin cold environmental conditions, where freezing can occur withpre-mixed type joint compound. Since freezing can degrade thecomposition of the pre-mixed joint compound and possibly expand andcrack the joint compound container, the present container 10 alsoovercomes these issues. Furthermore, removing the preservatives andbactericides, which are needed in pre-mixed type joint compound,eliminates volatile organic compounds and other harmful vapors fromaccumulating and being emitted from the joint compound during storageand use. The present base compound 22 is also lighter in weight thanpre-mixed type joint compound due to the absence of water. Reducing theweight of the base compound 22, and more specifically, the container 10,reduces the weight of the container being shipped thereby reducing theshipping costs of when shipping one or more of the containers.

In use, a user breaks one or more of the tabs 42 on the cover 34 of thecontainer 10 and removes the cover 34 from the base member 12. Water 21is then added into the base compound 22 in the base member 12 until thewater level reaches the line 30 on the inner surface 18 (or the line 32on the outer surface 20) of the base member. The user then mixes thewater 21 and the base compound 22 together using a joint compoundapplicator tool, such as a mud knife, a joint compound mixing tool, suchas a drill-type mixing tool with a mixer attachment, or other suitablemixing implement. After the joint compound is mixed, the user appliesthe joint compound to one or more surfaces. Any unused joint compoundcan be stored in the container 10 by re-attaching and re-sealing thecover 34 on the base member 12.

Referring to FIG. 4, another embodiment of the present joint compoundcontainer is illustrated where the container 62 includes a base member64 having a sidewall 66 and a bottom wall 68 defining an interior spacewith an open top end 70. A surface (the inner surface 72 or the outersurface 74) of the sidewall 66 includes a plurality of indicators, suchas lines 76 a, 76 b and 76 c marked on the surface. Also, a resealablecover 78 is attached to the top end 70 of the base member 64. In use, adesignated amount of base compound 80 is stored in the interior space ofthe base member 64, where, the cover 78 is removed from the base member64 and water 82 is added into the interior space of the base member 64until a level of the water 82 reaches one of the lines 76 a, 76 b and 76c based on a desired consistency of joint compound. As such, each of theindicators, i.e., lines 76 a, 76 b and 76 c, are at different distancesabove the base compound 80 and associated with different consistenciesof the joint compound based on a desired finish on a surface. It shouldbe appreciated that the indicators or lines 76 a, 76 b and 76 c may allbe the same length or different lengths and one or more of the lines mayextend about a portion or an entire periphery of the surface of the basemember 64.

While particular embodiments of the present joint compound containerhave been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilledin the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto withoutdeparting from the invention in its broader aspects and as set forth inthe following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A joint compound container comprising: a basemember having a sidewall and a bottom wall defining an interior spacewith an open top end, a surface of said sidewall including an indicator;a cover attached to said top end of said base member; and a designatedamount of base compound in the interior space of said base member,wherein in use, said cover is removed from said base member and water isadded into the interior space of said base member until a level of thewater reaches said indicator.
 2. The container of claim 1, wherein saidindicator is a line that extends about an entire periphery of said innersurface of said base member.
 3. The container of claim 2, wherein saidline is formed by a marking material applied to said inner surface ofsaid base member.
 4. The container of claim 2, wherein said line is agroove formed in said inner surface of said base member.
 5. Thecontainer of claim 1, wherein said cover is a resealable cover.
 6. Thecontainer of claim 1, wherein said cover includes at least one breakabletab.
 7. The container of claim 1, wherein said indicator is located at adesignated distance above said base compound.
 8. The container of claim1, further comprising a message area on said surface of said basemember.
 9. The container of claim 1, wherein said base member is made ofa semi-transparent material or a transparent material.
 10. A jointcompound container comprising: a base member having a sidewall and abottom wall defining an interior space with an open top end, a surfaceof said sidewall including a plurality of indicators; a cover attachedto said top end of said base member; and a designated amount of basecompound in the interior space of said base member, wherein in use, saidcover is removed from said base member and water is added into theinterior space of said base member until a level of the water reachesone of said indicators based on a desired consistency of the jointcompound.
 11. The container of claim 10, wherein each of said indicatorsis a line that extends about an entire periphery of said inner surfaceof said base member.
 12. The container of claim 11, wherein each saidline is formed by a marking material applied to said inner surface ofsaid base member.
 13. The container of claim 11, wherein each said lineis a groove formed in said inner surface of said base member.
 14. Thecontainer of claim 10, wherein said cover includes at least onebreakable tab.
 15. The container of claim 10, wherein each of saidindicators is located at a different designated distance above said basecompound.
 16. The container of claim 10, further comprising a messagearea on said surface of said base member.
 17. The container of claim 10,wherein said base member is made of a semi-transparent material or atransparent material.